Golden Mole
' Golden moles' are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Southern Africa where their Afrikaans names are gouemolle or kruipmolle (singular gouemol or kruipmol). They comprise the family Chrysochloridae and as such they are taxonomically distinct from the true moles, family Talpidae, and other mole-like families, all of which, to various degrees, they resemble as a result of evolutionary convergence. Characteristics Golden mole, (order Chrysochloridea), any of 18 species of blind and tailless burrowing insectivoresthat live in sub-Saharan Africa. They are sufficiently different from other moles and insectivores to constitute their own mammalian order. Golden moles have a cylindrical body, short limbs, and no external tail; tail vertebrae are beneath the skin. Their triangular head ends in a leathery pad at the muzzle; their degenerate eyes are covered with skin and fur; and they lack external ears. The skin is tough and loosely attached to the body. The four front digits bear strong claws, two of which are long and shaped like a pickax. The five hind digits are connected by membranous skin. The fur is long and slightly coarse in two species but short, soft, and dense in all others. It ranges in colour from dark gray through brownish tones and chestnut to black, with violet, green, yellow, or bronze iridescence. Habitat and Ecology Most species are nocturnal, though some are also active by day. They prefer loamy or sandy soils; clay and compacted soils are avoided. After heavy rainfalls golden moles come to the surface. Golden moles eat insects, earthworms, and lizards. Some travel and forage in shallow subsurface tunnels; others excavate burrows as deep as 50 cm (20 inches), with entrances marked by mounds of soil. Soil is loosened with the leathery muzzle, forefeet, and claws and then pushed under the body with the claws and muzzle. The hind feet push the debris along and out of the burrow. Grant’s golden mole (Eremitalpa granti) of southern Africa is a sand-dune inhabitant. It does not live in burrows but travels at night on the dune surface or just below, employing its front limbs and muzzle to “swim” through the sand. During the day it buries itself down to 35 cm in soft sand. Golden moles range from coastal lowlands to elevations of 3,300 metres (10,800 feet), inhabiting forests, savannas, grasslands, rocky hillsides, sandy riverbeds, and sand dunes. Some species reportedly live in cultivated fields and on the fairways of golf courses. The largest is the giant golden mole (Chrysospalax trevelyani) of South Africa, with a body 20 to 24 cm (7.9 to 9.4 inches) long; it is a forest dweller that dens in burrows but travels and forages along the surface. The smallest is Grant’s golden mole, weighing less than an ounce, with a body 8 to 9 cm long. Reproduction Females give birth to one to three hairless young in a grass-lined nest within the burrow system. Breeding occurs throughout the year. The adults are solitary, and their burrowing territory may be aggressively defended from intruders, especially where resources are relatively scarce.[3] Category:Mammals Category:Insectivores Category:Nocturnal Creatures Category:Moles Category:Rodents Category:African-Animals Category:The Lion Guard Animals